The present invention generally relates to the ground transport of transportable containers, and handling systems related thereto, more particularly to apparatus and methods associated with tandem container loading/unloading, or content dumping.
A variety of container lift hoist styles are known for unloading containers from transport vehicles or the like. A great many of the styles include a container supporting surface which is tilted in furtherance of delivering the container to/at a work site. As supported by the numerous issued patents, and touted in the product literature for such devices, emphasis has heretofore been placed on the delivery, more particularly the unloading, of containers from transport vehicles, with numerous advances made concerning the mechanics associated therewith, and the safe operation thereof.
Tandem container transport generally provides for a more efficient container delivery and pick-up, conjuring up the notion of xe2x80x9ctwo for the price of one.xe2x80x9d Be this as it may, such tandem container transport, more particularly, readying the transport vehicles for loading and unloading is cumbersome and time consuming. Typically a self loading truck is provided for hauling both a container (i.e., a xe2x80x9ctruck containerxe2x80x9d) and a trailer loaded with a container (i.e., a xe2x80x9ctrailer containerxe2x80x9d). Such vehicles are commonly equipped with a hook style hoist, which in addition to having the capacity to load and unload truck containers, is capable of loading and unloading a trailer container from a trailer. Although this to some extent streamlines the loading and unloading process by eliminating a further loading/unloading apparatus from the process, typically a vehicle adapted for such purpose in addition to the vehicle and trailer combination, trailer ingress and egress can only be accomplished from the rear, as a trailer hitch assembly generally prevents access, or easy access. Such rear trailer loading requirement can be, and in fact is, prohibitive, as space to freely jockey about a job site is often times limited.
Arguably the most time consuming task associated with tandem container delivery is the unhooking of the trailer from the self loading vehicle so that the task of unloading the trailer container from the trailer may be completed, and thereafter, reconfiguring the units for tandem container transport. Although a variety of trailer hitching assembly styles are known, manipulation in furtherance of hooking and unhooking typically requires a jack or other multi-component lifting aid. Such task is especially time consuming for the single operator likely assigned to the tandem transporter. The intermediate steps of unhooking and re-hooking the trailer to the vehicle, when combined with the previously identified shortcomings, negate a great deal of the advantage gained by hauling tandem containers when compared to single container transport.
The container handling system of the present invention includes a vehicle adapted to carry a container, the vehicle being equipped with a hoist for lifting containers, and, a trailer towable by the vehicle so as to provide tandem transport of containers. The trailer is adapted to receive a container from the vehicle via the vehicle hoist, and is further adapted to selectively hoist a received container in furtherance of unloading the received container, or dump contents therefrom.
A container handling method for tandem container transport is likewise provided. A vehicle adapted to carry a container, and a trailer towable by the vehicle so as to permit tandem carriage of containers, is preliminarily provided in the method. The vehicle is preferably equipped with means for transferring the container from the vehicle, whereas the trailer is adapted to carry and unload a container therefrom. The vehicle is loaded with a container and subsequently transferred from the vehicle to the trailer via means for transferring the container from the vehicle.